Plateauing for 2 months

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    Bendiz_ wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Bendiz_ wrote: »
    I’m trying to be strict, because I’m very motivated! I’m not stressing too much over it, but it would be cool to drop a bit more since it’s summer and all :smiley: I use insulin and cortisone though, so I have to be strict :smile: So I was just wondering if anyone had any experience with this. I’m happy when I see a loss, even if it is only 0.6lbs.. It’s just kinda weird to go from -8kg in a month to -2kg in 2 months on the same diet.

    Accepting that the situation is as you report, I think there's potential that you could be seeing some confounding water weight gains masking fat loss, and/or your personal situation or your low calorie level are depressing your non-exercise activity (NEAT). Your medical situation could involve water weight fluctuation, so could summer, so could stress, and more.

    Some (very few) people do lose at a higher/lower calorie level than MFP estimates (it has to do with statistics, not necessarily laws of thermodynamics). Usually, the biggest factor in these is NEAT variations. Try to work at being more active throughout your day: Don't sit when you could stand, don't stand when you could move, fidget more, prioritize some higher-energy home chores or home improvement projects, etc. There's a thread about that strategy here, and it can move your TDEE upward by a surprising amount: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss

    You could also add some exercise, if you can fit it in. It doesn't have to be a mega-big deal, just more walks or something like that. Strength training could be helpful, but primarily in a long-term sense.

    As I said, unusually low calorie needs are . . . unusual. It's far more common to have overlooked something food-logging-related, to have overestimated exercise, or something of that nature. And a difference of the magnitude you're reporting - not losing at 1000 calories at age 23 - would be way, way, way outside the norms, even for a quite petite woman.

    You mention having 36 pounds left to lose, but I didn't see where you mention your height or current/starting weight. Are you by any chance already at the lower end of a normal BMI, striving to be very thin? That would make a difference.

    And I agree that it would be a good idea to see your doctor. Since you obviously have certain medical conditions, and report slow weight loss on very low calories, plus may be short-changing your nutrition given the low calories, it may be time for blood tests or other medical tests to get to the bottom of the situation.

    Thank you so much for your comment! And linking to the "NEAT Improvement Strategies to Improve Weight Loss". I will definitely check this out! My personal situation is for sure impacting my non-exercise activity, so it is so great that you told me about this! I am still classified as obese according to BMI, so it's nothing like that. I'm looking to get into the middle normal range of the BMI. I'm looking to get healthier, to feel good about my choices and that of course my body reflects the good choices I make. I'm gonna give my doctor a call sometime this week and ask her if she can help me.

    I think you're closing in on a good plan for going forward. If your doctor isn't terribly helpful, ask her/him for a referral to a registered dietitian. You can sort this out! :)
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,111 Member
    fb47 wrote: »
    Bendiz_ wrote: »
    Hey!

    So the last 2 months I’ve only lost 5 pounds, this qualifies as a plateau right? That’s 0,6lbs / 200 grams a week! I was eating 1200kcal a day (I’m not very active), but the past couple of weeks I’ve been eating 1000kcal a day instead.. But it’s not helping at alI, so I really don’t see the point in eating so few calories. I weigh everything so I’m 120% sure that I’m not eating more calories. I’m a 23 year old woman. Any thoughts on this?

    You're either not entering your food correctly, weighing your food correctly or you're so slim and short that you are at your new maintenance which I highly doubt. You're eating so little food if that were the case.

    22519489_1681145488570406_5206514516691541431_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9630add64b7f4b786fb83940de27c039&oe=5BE91740

    How could she be at her new maintenance if she is continuing to lose weight?

    With less than 40lb to lose I would expect a loss of 0.5lb - 1lb per week if there were zero logging errors, and everyone has an error occasionally. So the current rate seems acceptable. This may be more about expectations than anything else
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    edited June 2018
    fb47 wrote: »
    You're either not entering your food correctly, weighing your food correctly or you're so slim and short that you are at your new maintenance which I highly doubt. You're eating so little food if that were the case.

    Or maybe the OP figured out what was wrong from one of the other responses. The thread is only 2 pages long...
  • Bendiz_
    Bendiz_ Posts: 278 Member
    I have opened my diary to friends, so I’m waiting for you to add me @yirara :-)
  • fb47
    fb47 Posts: 1,058 Member
    SCoil123 wrote: »
    fb47 wrote: »
    Bendiz_ wrote: »
    Hey!

    So the last 2 months I’ve only lost 5 pounds, this qualifies as a plateau right? That’s 0,6lbs / 200 grams a week! I was eating 1200kcal a day (I’m not very active), but the past couple of weeks I’ve been eating 1000kcal a day instead.. But it’s not helping at alI, so I really don’t see the point in eating so few calories. I weigh everything so I’m 120% sure that I’m not eating more calories. I’m a 23 year old woman. Any thoughts on this?

    You're either not entering your food correctly, weighing your food correctly or you're so slim and short that you are at your new maintenance which I highly doubt. You're eating so little food if that were the case.

    22519489_1681145488570406_5206514516691541431_n.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=9630add64b7f4b786fb83940de27c039&oe=5BE91740

    How could she be at her new maintenance if she is continuing to lose weight?

    With less than 40lb to lose I would expect a loss of 0.5lb - 1lb per week if there were zero logging errors, and everyone has an error occasionally. So the current rate seems acceptable. This may be more about expectations than anything else

    Which is why I said it's highly unlikely.
  • Mini_Medic
    Mini_Medic Posts: 343 Member
    Look out for the little things that can add up and put you out of your deficit and into maintenance. Things like water flavoring, liquid calories from absentmindedly drinking more than anticipated or forgetting drinks, ketchup, dressings, sauces and dips.
    Best guess from experience. At one point on my diet I was aiming for 1,000 calories since I was leaving room for a margin of error in my counting before I got a food scale. I actually was consuming 1,300 to 1,600 a day and it was reflected in my only losing 0.5 lb a week. When I tightened up my logging and weighed my food and drinks I was consistently eating 1,200 and losing 2 lbs a week. My deficit, maintence and gaining numbers will obviously be different from yours I’m short.
    If you are truly only eating 1,000 a day you will burn out quickly. Eating only 1,000 calories a day isn’t healthy and is unsustainable. Likely you will at some point get insatiable hunger and will start overeating to compensate for the too aggressive deficit and hunger. I can eat 1,000 calories a day for about 2 weeks before the hunger is overwhelming. Eat more. You won’t suddenly gain a ton and your body will thank you for it by giving you energy. You can still lose weight eating a moderate deficit instead of an aggressive restrictive one.
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